Justin Wilson

A repeat of Wilson's outstanding 2013 campaign was never realistic, as he benefited greatly from a .229 BABIP and 84.9% strand rate, but the southpaw's surface numbers declined a bit more than most ex...

Wilson exceeded expectations in 2013, going 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 73.2 innings. The 26-year-old southpaw threw a heavy 95.3 mph average fastball, but finished with just a 7.2 K/9 rate. His 59:28 K:BB rate shows his penchant for losing the strike zone at times, but a 3.4 BB/9 rate marked the first time he's been lower than 4.0 BB/9 in six pro seasons. Despite being a two-pitch pitcher, Wilson mostly started in the minors -- he struck out 138 in 135 Triple-A innings in 2012. There's always a chance Pittsburgh could try him again in the rotation. File that away, and also remember that he totaled only 6.2 innings in September, indicating that he was fatigued from a heavy early-season workload, or was dealing with some sort of injury.

2013

Wilson, 24, pitched at Triple-A Indianapolis for the second consecutive season, improving both his ERA (4.13 to 3.78) and WHIP (1.51 to 1.16). He's got a deadly fastball (averaging 93.9 mph) and pitched in parts of two no-hitters for his club. General manager Neal Huntington saw fit to move him back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen in 2012, making his long-term role uncertain. Until Wilson improves his control -- he's got a career 4.5 BB/9 rate -- he represents a bit of a wild card. He'll fight for an Opening Day roster spot, but is more likely to make his season debut in Pittsburgh sometime during summer.